Nitecore has announced the NFZ100, the world’s first ‘smart battery’ for Sony full-frame mirrorless cameras, including the a7 III, a7R III and a9 systems.

Like most ‘smart’ electronics, the unique feature of the NFZ100 is the ability to manage and monitor the battery with an accompanying smartphone app. Nitecore NNERGY, as it’s called, is available to download for free on both Android and iOS devices.

Once installed and connected to the NFZ100, the NNERGY app will let you monitor the battery health, battery level, battery voltage and other real-time battery information. Nitecore even offers a dedicated ‘Storage Mode’ within the app that will discharge the battery to 70% to help maximize its lifespan if it won’t be in use for some time.

Individual batteries can be labelled with three-digit identifiers to ensure you can tell them apart inside the app. There is even an option to upgrade the firmware of the batteries as Nitecore further develops its technology. Yes, you read that right, you might soon need to update the firmware of your camera batteries, not unlike you do your camera itself.

The NFZ100 batteries feature 2,280 mAh capacity, which Nitecore estimates is good for 500 still photos when shooting with the Sony a9. Voltage is 7.2V, giving it a power rating of 16.4Wh.

The Nitecore NFZ100 doesn’t appear to be available to purchase through any online retailers as of now and no current pricing information is available. DPReview has contacted Nitecore and will update this article with more information if we get a response.

People are often worried that a new camera with the same type battery will prevent their older 3rd part batteries from working properly, this is firmware upgradable and should be able to overcome this problem, It's better than a modern car battery where you have to go to the dealers to have it programmed to be recognised by the cars computer

A true smart battery would be a design that uses the newer custom shaped lithium polymer batteries in order to design one that uses all of the space of the battery compartment rather than the usual weird shaped cases but a basic rectangular lithium polymer better in it, leaving around 20% or more of the volume of the case unused.

If there would only be another way of checking the battery life... Oh wait!The only thing a battery does is giving me a certain amount of electric power, so the smartest thing it can do is giving me more!

Actually, checking the battery life in a somewhat accurate way does require a smart battery. You may not realize it because they usually don’t have an associated app but many of the batteries that you currently use are probably already smart.

I’ve a Mophie Powerstation battery pack with connectivity to an app on my phone. It is surprisingly useful.So this technology has been available for about four years that I am aware of. Nothing wrong with utilising it for camera batteries and much right.

While the phone connection is a little much, Nitecore makes great products. I wouldn't expect the battery to be anything less than the highest quality cells and controllers. Hard to find 3rd party batteries that are always as good as OEM.

Please, I'd also like smart screws (to monitor if they still sit firmly), smart battery doors (triggers an alert if accidentally open) and smart lens caps (built-in GPS allows to track it when misplaced).

I take apart and then put together all my electronic devices, home appliances and furniture, as well as my car, every day. It's the only way of knowing that every screw and bolt sit firmly in place. People tell me that I have a problem, but I do this to prevent problems.

@ClintB: That's what majority of battery "manufacturers" do, even Canon, Nikon, etc. don't make their own Li-Ion batteries. There are just handful of manufacturers(Sony, Toshiba, Samsung, Sanyo/Panasonic) who manufacture Li-Ion cells.

Old boomers out of touch with reality? They think of "app" as a buzzword and automatically thinks it means instant profit, so they look scramble for anything to apply it too. Too bad its not the early 2010s anymore.

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